It Gets Better
by Hopeful Scribbler
Summary: POST Deep Dark. V/H Inspired by Jo Dee Messina's song. Vicki has some thinking to do...will she be safe without Henry around? MORE REVIEWS WILL BRING MORE CHAPTERS!
1. Chapter 1

**It Gets Better**: Vicki/Henry

I've just posted the beginning of this story. I have plenty in the works, but just want to see if anyone is interested in it. Sorry it's so short...

_This old world can be cruel sometimes_

_When you're looking for answers_

_You can't seem to find_

_No one understands what you're going through  
_

_Oh I know it can get lonely out there_

_When you feel like nobody cares_

_Well you look around thinking_

_If they only knew_

_Well I do_

_I've felt the chill of this world cut down to the bone_

_I've walked many a mile down this road on my own_

The chill of the night air hovered over the city like a moist cloud. The darkness heavy and unsettled Vicki Nelson for many reasons, " I'm a blind demon beacon who will always be alone." The thoughts escaped her lips as she trudged through the quiet streets towards the solace of her office.

She wasn't ready to go home yet, however. She knew that Coreen had taken the taxi back to the office instead of Vicki's original destination for the driver- the hospital. Instead, with a thousand thoughts and feelings burning inside her, she turned around and headed for the one place where she felt complete understanding- back to the place where everything began.

The alley was calm and quiet like the rest of the city, however, in the confined air of these walls held a certain amount of grief and hostility. After all, this is where everything began a year ago. Henry, her entrance into the dark world of hell, her battle against Asteroth… it all began here and ended with her.

Walking towards the wall, she softly examined the marking left by the demon a year ago. Suddenly, as she touched it, she felt a hot sensation pierce her fingers, and like many times before, her tattoo began to glow and smolder. As suddenly as the searing heat of the tattoos, everything she'd been bottling up for the past year uncorked itself and bubbled over in her throat. Memories flashed before her eyes of that night so long ago when a certain bloodsucker walked in front of her and her life changed completely. Vicki yanked her fingers away and sank to her knees, her back against the wall, the tears falling freely. She clutched her arm tightly, remembering how it felt to have Henry's lips and teeth meet with her flesh.

Looking to the dark sky above her, she sobbed in anguish. "Oh god. What have I done?"

_I've been through hell on my knees_

_Come face to face with the devil_

_And I know that it's hard to believe_

_But it gets better_

Her pain had led Vicki to another place she never thought to return to. The maple door squeaked as she tested the lock. Stepping slowly over the threshold, she glanced around the dark apartment tentatively, subconsciously knowing that she was alone.

The red lilies were still on the entryway table, just as they were mere hours ago, when her vision had temporarily cleared, thanks to Asteroth, enough for her to take in the beauty of those flowers fully before tunneling back to blindness.

In truth, that devil had never even touched on what her heart truly desired. In fact, she'd been staring at him all night until he left. She would throw away her life for Henry if only she knew that they were going to work out. Otherwise, she couldn't risk it.

The pain of knowing what she caused killed her. Vicki couldn't even begin to think of how to fix everything she caused. Instead, she walked to Henry's bedroom and crawled into the only bed she every truly felt safe in, breathing in the last scent of him, evoking the last sobs she could manage before falling asleep.

The shrill ring of her cell phone aroused Vicki many hours later. Fumbling around the bed, she blindly searched for her phone. " mmm, Hello?"

"Vicki? Where are you?"

Vicki furrowed her brow at the sound of the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

" Coreen? What's wrong?"

"I've been at the office all night and I haven't seen you since…" _Since Henry left_. Coreen didn't have to finish the sentence for Vicki to catch on.

Running a hand through her hair, Vicki sat up straighter in the bed. " I'm fine. I just didn't feel like coming home quiet yet."

Coreen refused to give up so easily, " Well where are you? Its one in the morning."

"I'm in a safe place, I just don't feel like being bothered right now, okay, Coreen? I just need time to myself right now."

Frustration was evident in her young assistant's voice, but it was rightly stated, " Story of your life, Vicki Nelson. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

Hanging up, Vicki flopped back down in the bed, frustration and exhaustion overtaking her body. Sleep came quicker than it had before and encased her mind in complete darkness once again.

**Lyrics from Jo Dee Messina's "It Gets Better".**

**Reviews feed my soul.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**Hi guys! I just wanted to say that I have gotten so MANY reviews in only a few days, and I am excited that even with the absence of the show, fans are still aching for some Vicki/Henry fun. Sorry my chapters are so short. I'm writing them presently, but having a tough time getting Vicki and Henry's "voices" right.**

**The inspiration from this chapter comes from yet another Jo Dee song, from the same album. She wrote alot of the songs based on a past relationship, so it works great for me! **

**Let me know if you want more!**

**Chapter 2: _"You Were Just Here" _  
**

_ It's too soon, it's too soon  
It still feels like:_

You were just here  
You were just holding me  
I was alright  
I never would have believed  
That you'd go away  
That you could just disappear  
When you were just here**  
**

**2:40 AM, Same Morning**

A few miles away from Henry's condo, in a basement below a dark and abandoned bookshop, sat an ugly middle-aged man. This man was not what one would think of him. He was not human. He was cursed. Some believed him to be blessed. He was supernatural.

His kind were called empaths. He had the ability to sense other's emotions, and sometimes interconnect minds with that person. He was not a practioner of dark magic, but often times, demons and people of the dark arts captured empaths and enslaved them.

Nexus had been brought to this world for reasons unknown. Tonight, as he dreamt, things would be made clear. If he didn't do this task correctly, his master would surely kill him. Tonight, he would do whatever it takes to complete the task. Nexus went to his bed

Back in the cool and dark confines of Henry's condo, Vicki was asleep with a fitful dream. Tossing and turning, she wrinkled her brown in subconscious frustration.

**The halls were narrow and dark, much like the institution where Kelly/Sydney Perkins attacked her after his/their psychotic break. Vicki was running, but at the moment, she couldn't figure out why. **

**Groping along the walls, she screamed, **_**"Henry?" Oh god, where are you?**_**There were stairs everywhere, but she couldn't reach them, and Vicki had a feeling if she could, she'd find Henry. She tried again to call out to him,**_** " Henry! Please, answer me!"**_

**Vicki ran and ran down the endless hallway until a large metal door loomed into focus. In the large class window, she could barely make out a face. As she ran closer, it became achingly familiar. "HENRY! Oh my god, what have they done to you?" His hands banged against the glass, blood pouring from the palms of his hands. **

**As Vicki finally reached the door, she noticed it was completely chained off. She banged against the glass in hopes of smashing it, but to no avail. The walls were barren, nothing to use as a weapon. "I'm gonna get you out, I promise." She gasped looking into his eyes. Wide-eyed with pain and confusion, Henry's entire body shook and he let out a roar as something came down from the ceiling and electrocuted him. A light shining from somewhere to his right reflected a bounty of cuts and bruises along his back and chest. He grunted and lifted his head to look her in the eye.**

"**Vicki, get the hell out of here! Someone is after you!" He looked at her as if it was clear as day. **

"**What the hell are you talking about? You're the one chained and being tortured!" **

**Henry struggled in his confines, and lunged towards the door, evident on his face, this caused him great pain. "Vicki, listen to me. This is not a dream. Someone has tapped into your subconscious and is manipulating your thoughts so they can locate you. You need to wake up!"**

**Getting frustrated, Vicki yanked on the doors again and shouted, " How the hell would you know, Henry? This is supposed to be **_**my**_** dream, isn't it?"**

"**I was in a hotel in Montreal when all of a sudden I awoke here, in this **_**sunlit**_** room. I may be 450 years old, but I am pretty damn sure I'm not stupid. If this were real, I would be dust right now."**

**That shut Vicki up quickly enough. She looked away from him, doing a half circle in frustration, and when she turned back, he was gone. Presumably- hopefully- he had woken up from this nightmare.**

_ I reach out and you're not there  
But I still feel you everywhere  
No matter how much I try  
Or how hard I cry  
It still feels like_

_You were just here  
You were just holding me  
I was alright  
I never would have believed  
That you'd go away  
That you could just disappear  
When you were just here_

Awaking with a violent jerk, Vicki gasped for air and ripped the covers off of her body. She and the bed were drenched in sweat, and she could hardly breath. Alone in Henry's former condo did not provide as much comfort as she had hoped. Dreaming with him did not help much with the whole " I-feel-guilty-that-I-betrayed-you-and-drank-your-blood-and-tainted-it-with-dark-magic-thing." Because it made her miss him even more, and she couldn't miss a man who was used to leaving people.

_Yup, shower, now. _As she prepared herself, she couldn't help but think of the irony while she placed her clothes in pile by the bed. She was there, naked, standing in Henry's bedroom, but he would never be there to see it. Rummaging around his closet for a towel, she found one and headed for a much needed cleansing.

Instead of a shower, Vicki did something she never did, and opted for a soak in the bathtub to relax a little more and soak her bundled nerves. After washing her hair and soaking for a good half hour, she climbed out of the large tub and dried herself off with the towel. Emotions bubbled in her chest and mind as she recounted that nightmare. _It was so real… _She thought.

Shrugging the thought off, Vicki tied the towel above her breasts and stood up. She rummaged around the cabinets for a brush or comb, grabbed a silver plated brush from the first drawer.

A sudden and familiar draft blew through the room and Vicki's heart lurched in her throat. Breath at her ear caused her to gasp, and appearing in the mirror was a face that she had missed more in an hour than anything else. Chin quivering and eyes wide, she looked at his eyes through the mirror, not saying a word, almost afraid to at the thought of his response and also rendered speechless. Mustering up her thoughts, her facial expression changed to hope and she whispered, _"Henry."_

**_ You were just here  
You were just holding me  
I was alright  
I never would have believed  
That you'd go away  
That you could just disappear  
When you were just here_... **


	3. Chapter 3 part 1

**Hi Everyone! CountessSia has been a dear and kindly reminded me that this show must go on. Sorry it has been a wait, but school got me all messed up this month. And FYI, I know this chapter is short, but think of it as an appetizer for Chpt 3.2! Thank you CS, for the blushing remarks, you are a sweetheart, and this chapter is for you! The song in this chapter is "Where Were You?" another Jo Dee Messina, same album, same schpeal as the last chapter. **

_ Where were you when I needed somebody  
Where were you when the walls started caving in  
I was waiting for someone to save me  
When I was coming unglued  
Where were you_

Bags in hand, Henry arrived at his destination, standing at the doorway of his home with some trepidation. He was eager to get in the safe confines of darkness, so he quickly moved to unlock the door. Upon opening it, he sensed something odd- or rather,_someone_. His "spidy senses" tingled, and his head turned to the sound of the shower stopping. A familiar smell invaded his senses, and his heart did a strange little flip. Without missing a beat, he was at the door of the master bath in seconds, and entered without the invader knowing.

Stealthily, he used his vampire speed to get directly behind them, his mouth poised behind their ear, breathing. Shocked, the woman of his frustrations gasped and stared at his reflection open mouthed. Her eyes were dark and puffy, a clear sign that she had just as rough a night as he. "Henry", she whispered a few seconds later. Suddenly, something in her face changed, and her eyes lit up.

Even thought part of him was relieved to have her here, the other part of him still was deeply hurt by her betrayal earlier. He couldn't help but let his angry side show. Drawing out his fangs and darkening his eyes, he glared at her, " What are you doing here?" His deep voice demanded an answer.

_ It's good to see you come 'round, it's been a while  
Sure is nice to see your smile  
Yah I'm doing better now, thought about  
Callin' you a hundred times_

Oh I had left a couple messages  
And I never heard a word

Vicki was taken aback by his anger, and shocked again, only this time, at his apparent hatred of her. He was truly angry, and angry at her alone. Vicki was stuck, staring at him through the reflection in the mirror. She couldn't move, her entire body falling numb at his attitude. Her surprised relieve to see him quickly turned to remorse, and she looked away from him, clearing her throat softly. Tightening the towel around her, she turned to face Henry, but sidestepped to avoid touching him. Softly, she mumbled, " I was just leaving."

_ A lot of things got pretty bad pretty fast  
I never thought you'd turn your back  
You left me out there all alone hanging on  
I just have to deal with that_

Vicki walked out of the room, head down, and stopped only at the bed to pick up her clothes and his silk robe. She threw it around her and belted it at her waist. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she made her way blindly to the front door. The dim lights did not help any, especially when she smacked into that godforsaken table in the entryway. Vicki cringed when she heard the rattling crash of the lilies. Behind her, Vicki heard Henry shout her name and move towards her, but she ignored him and moved further towards the door, her free hand grabbing the handle and pulling. Before slamming the door, she shouted behind her shoulder, " go to hell." _And stay there._

_ I had to find my own way_

_Now that I've made it through_

_Where were you?_


	4. Chapter 3 part 2

**A/N:Alright readers, here is Chap 3.2! I had to rework alot of parts, but this is it. Sorry you waited, but I promise it was worth it. **

**Enjoy.**

**9:45 PM One Week Later**

_ Sometimes I have to tell myself to keep on breathing  
My heart is not believing you're gone  
I try hard to remind myself time will do the healing  
'Cause right now I'm not feeling all that strong_

Vicki stood silently at the window of her office, propped up by her elbow and hip. Emotionally, she was a wreck, and she didn't doubt that it showed on the outside, being that her life had once again changed drastically in a matter of moments. Barely hanging by a thread, it took all that she had left not to break down.

It had been well over a week, and that dream of/with/because of Henry was burned into the back of Vicki's eyes, and his anger still rang in her ears. The look of pure animosity and hurt in his features nearly ten days ago still made her heart cringe. _Why was he so angry with me?_

Frustration overtook Vicki for a moment, and she turned from the window, wiping a hand across her brow and habitually pinching the bridge of her nose. There were still so many unanswered questions she had for Henry, especially about that damn dream. The room began to spin, and Vicki, needing air, stormed out of the office, grabbing her coat to meet the cool, dark streets of Toronto

* * *

_  
Everything's a memory  
And they're taunting me  
Just one simple thing  
And I'll break down and cry_

After wandering around the city for a few hours in the pitch black and cold, Vicki made her way back to her side of town. She knew she was headed towards Henry's street, but she chose to ignore it, in fear that she might break down. Wandering aimlessly was better than being cooped up in her office, but nothing seemed to help. Nothing made sense.

The chill in the air suddenly could not mask the heat emanating from her wrists, and soon the heat became a burning pain. Crying out, Vicki stopped short and yanked her hands from her pockets, only to find that her marks were once again glowing, only this time, she had no idea why.

Pressing her hands firmly against the marks, she braced the cold and walked on. The upcoming street lead straight to the front of Henry's condo, so Vicki opted to turn instead, avoiding him altogether. Upon turning the corner, she saw something move in the shadows, heard heavy footsteps in front of her, then someone forcing her head still. "Scream, and I'll kill you." Fighting against the stranger, she smelled something sweet and the voice in Vicki's mind screamed: _Chloroform! Don't inhale! _All the while knowing it was already to late. She was already starting to feel woozy.

Vicki began to run, her legs shaking and threatening to give in. She prayed she could make in somewhere safely, and hoped that whoever lurked in the shadows gave up after her struggle. She ran towards Henry's condo, praying he was there, and maybe it was the chloroform, but Vicki knew she had to see Henry.

_ Well I'm not ready yet  
Too much to forget  
Oh it still feels like  
A part of me is dying_

In the elevator, she began to see double, she leaned heavily against a wall, and breathing heavily, she pressed all the buttons towards the top, hoping she hit Henry's floor. Disoriented and exhausted, Vicki sank to the ground. She was unconscious when the doors opened, and a man across the hall flung open his front door and growled at her scent, but rushed towards her at the sound of her slow heartbeat and lifeless body.

"Vicki!"

* * *

He smelled the scent of the ethyl substance the minute he went to her in the elevator.

Once inside his apartment, Henry rushed to the bathroom with Vicki in his arms. He sat, fully clothed inside his shower and pulled Vicki in his lap. Henry knew that he had to remove anything that might be contaminated and wash her skin. He had no idea where the contact point was, so he removed all clothes, avoiding staring at her lower half while he focused on turning the shower to cool and scrubbing her skin, hoping the cold water would revive her.

"C'mon Vicki, wake up." Henry began to chant this as he scrubbed furiously at the invisible molecules of chloroform that poisoned Vicki's body. He was angry with himself for being so irrational and ignoring her for so long. He knew that he should have stayed at talked with her instead of being so standoffish.

"Vicki, don't do this. You need to wake up." Desperate, he covered her nose and mouth, but turned her face towards the spray. Her heart was still beating slower than normal. Nothing was working. "Dammit, Victoria! You owe me this!"

_ Sometimes I have to tell myself to keep on breathing  
My heart is not believing you're gone  
I try hard to remind myself time will do the healing  
'Cause right now I'm not feeling all that strong_

Shutting off the water, he left Vicki in the shower briefly. Henry moved at vampiric speed to grab a few towels to cocoon her in, wrapping her tightly and carrying her to his bed where he dried her hair and tucked the blankets tightly over her towel clad form. Her breathing was still slow, but her heart rate was slowly climbing to normal.

For the first time in a while, Henry was scared for Vicki's life. He knew that this was no coincidence. Something about that strange dream he had last week had to be a connection. After he'd awoken last week to find Vicki at his home and her smell all over, it had been too much. Then after their fight, he couldn't talk to her about it.

After about an hour, it seemed like her condition still hadn't changed, but Henry refused to move, even with the hunger aching inside him. He wasn't leaving this time.

_ Why I wanna scream it's just not fair  
Pray to god I didn't care  
I wanna turn back time  
Turn back time and have you here with me  
I want to find someone to blame  
But sometimes life gets in the way  
And it doesn't care how much we love  
'Cause sometimes love is just not enough_


End file.
